Sound Pills!
This is a story from ''Popeye'', the original series published by Dell in 1948. The series was later renamed to Popeye the Sailor as it continued with other publishers. It has also been reprinted in other comic books by other publishers since then. __TOC__ 'Synopsis' Sappo is happy when he receives a telegram informing him his nephew Eddie is coming to visit. The Professor also thinks it will be nice to have a boy around the house too. He considers the lad lucky to meet the greatest scientist in the universe. When Sappo introduces his nephew to the Professor later that day, Eddie laughs because the scientist is so funny looking. Wotasnozzle is outraged and scolds the boy, telling him that is no way to talk to a genius inventor. Eddie is surprised to hear that and asks what he has invented. When he finds out that he never created anything famous, the laughter erupts even louder. Later, the Professor tells Sappo he is disturbed by the way his nephew laughed at him. Sappo tells Wotasnozzle not to let the boy get to him and invent something that shows how smart he is. The Professor knows he can do that and gets started immediately. The loud sounds of the inventor's tinkering attracts Eddie's attention, so Sappo talks to him about how the laughter hurt the Professor. The youngster did not mean to do that but is now interested to see what the scientist is making. When the noise stops, Professor Wotasnozzle rolls out his amazing new gizmo. Now two are curious as to what it does. The Professor says it condenses sound into a gas-filled capsule then releases it when the pill is broken. He demonstrates how it works by having Sappo talk into the microphone then throws the pill at the wall. Both are impressed, but neither can see any practical use. Wotasnozzle continues his presentation by using a pea shooter and aims for a visitor at the neighbor's door, a stray cat and a policeman down the street. Still, neither uncle nor nephew are impressed and Eddie refuses to compliment him, so the Professor vows to change that. He goes back to his machine and makes some pills to make the boy admit he is a genius. The next morning, at the breakfast table, Wotasnozzle sneaks the pills in the little guy's cereal bowl, which explodes with congratulatory words. Eddie is not impressed but instead inspired to get back at him. He uses the Professor's own machine to make capsules with insulting words and hides them under the living room rug. Later, as Wotasnozzle brings over the world's greatest minds, the pills all break. The Professor believes the other scientists are insulting him and throws them out, but later learns it was Eddie's prank. Sappo talks to Eddie once more and tells him that the latter prank hurt the Professor again. The boy is truly sorry and asks how he can make amends. His uncle tells him it is the Professor's birthday, and to get him a present. Eddie does not have any money, but decides to use the sound-pill machine to make something nice. He makes some improvements on the unit so it will make a giant pill. Later, when his Uncle John comes home with the birthday cake, Eddie sneaks the pill inside. As Wotasnozzle puts a knife to the cake, the pill shouts out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR!!" so loud the whole house explodes. The Professor is so mad he chases the menace up a telephone pole with the knife. Last Updated: / / Category:Comics